Take Two

Both Obama and Romney focus on job numbers and economy as their campaigns close in on the final stretch. Plus, new drug policy for racehorses affects The Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park, we fact check the large number of campaign radio ads running this election cycle, and much more.

President Obama and Governor Romney are back on the campaign trail. Meanwhile, New Yorkers are getting back on their feet after Hurricane Sandy. Producer Mary Plummer visited a school in Chelsea to survey the damage. Plus, community health clinics are on the rise in Los Angeles and across the country, Ruben Martinez joins the show to talk about his new book "Desert America," DJ Kid Koala visits the studio to spin some jams and much more.

We check in on the clean-up effort on the East Coast in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Plus, what's next for the Star Wars franchise now that Disney owns Lucasfilm? Will FEMA's swift response during Hurricane Sandy help heal the organization's tarnished image? Then, Massachusetts voters weigh passing a controversial initiative to legalize physician-assisted suicide, we talk to the author of the book "The Last Walk," which looks at how to treat aging and sick dogs, and much more.

We check in on the status of Hurricane Sandy, and survey the destruction in New Jersey, New York and in the Caribbean islands of Cuba and Haiti. Plus, Molly Peterson reports on rising sea levels and whether California is prepared for a storm like Sandy. Then, music critic Drew Tewksbury gives us a playlist for Halloween, we fact check political ads and much more.

Hurricane Sandy hits the East Coast, causing flight delays across the U.S. and even internationally. Plus, why has climate change been absent from both Obama and Romney's political campaigns? Marketplace's Kai Ryssdal joins us to talk about his PBS Frontline special about the power and influence of Super PACs, then we speak with David Maraniss about his new biography “Barack Obama: The Story”, and much more.

We check in on the youth vote, and why there's less excitement about the Obama campaign than there was in 2008. Plus, is the Great Recession defining retirement? Then, Deepa Fernandes reports on some Southland employers that are trying to make "work-family balance" more than an empty phrase, and we look at the life of Pulitzer Prize-winning sports writer Jim Murray, who elevated the art of sports journalism, and much more.

Today, Obama is in Florida drumming up support in a key swing state. Plus, new polling suggests that the majority of voters don't support Gov. Brown's Prop. 30. tax measure, A new prison healthcare facility in Stockton hopes to end federal oversight of prisoner medical care, California state regulators meet today to discuss tightening regulations on compounding pharmacies, plus much more.

We take a look at Mitt Romney's campaign and how the Obama campaign is handling his momentum in the polls. Plus, a small farming town of on the border of Mexico and Imperial Valley is a hotbed for professional baseball players, Kevin Ferguson reports on Monarch The Bear, the iconic symbol on the California flag, the use of "illegal immigrant" versus "undocumented immigrant" is being debated by the media and much more.

We check in with service members and their families to get their reactions to the presidential debate on foreign policy. Plus, families are being torn apart by a 1996 immigration law, a group of Italian scientists are charged with manslaughter for not predicting a deadly 2009 earthquake, we check in with KPCC's Frank Stoltze as he talks to voters in Inglewood and much more.

Tonight's presidential debate will likely touch on the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. embassy in Libya. We'll talk to an expert about how the CIA gathers information in these situations. Plus, the New York Times reports that Iran and the United States have developed a framework to begin one-on-one talks over Iran's nuclear program, video game companies turn to Kickstarter to raise funds, acclaimed author Sandra Cisneros joins the show to discuss her newest work, "Have You Seen Marie?" and much more.

Junior's Deli in Westwood is closing after 53 years in business. Plus, will Congress reach a deal to keep us from heading over the so-called fiscal cliff? Health insurance companies plan to hike up rates in 2013, and author Joshua Glenn offers tips on how to keep your kids "Unbored" during the long winter break, and much more.

Today, KPCC's Molly Peterson talks about the portrayal of fracking in Hollywood. Plus, why fiscal cliff talk is full of doomsday predictions, we look at whether White House petitions ever work, the new Atlanta Braves 'screaming Indian' logo draw ire and much more.

A New York newspaper is under scrutiny for publishing the addresses of gun owners. Plus, could gun liability insurance help curb gun violence? Then, new research shows that electronic records are vulnerable to attack by hackers, the nationwide primary physician shortage is worsening and much more.

Will President Obama be able to make changes to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms? Then, what's the marketing connection between real and virtual firearms?; LAPD holds a gun buyback program today; Sheriff Lee Baca is under pressure to curb inmate abuse; Patt Morrison and Brian Lehrer debate which is better during the holidays, NY or LA? Plus much more.

A new investigation shows that retailers skew online prices based on your location. Plus, the fiscal cliff is coming up quickly, first-person shooter games may have neurological benefits, politicians in Washington, D.C. have taken issue with the depiction of waterboarding in "Zero Dark Thirty" and much more.

The NRA breaks its silence about gun control and the Sandy Hook shooting. Plus, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is in need of an overhaul. Can Obama deliver? Then, Vintage LA's Alison Martino takes us back in time to how LA used to celebrate the holidays, the story behind Aretha Franklin's 'Amazing Grace,' and much more.

First, the Center for Investigative Reporting looks at why long wait times mean some veterans die before receiving benefits. Then, we take a look at why Obama's Secure Communities immigration policy is falling out of favor across the U.S. Plus, Mexico's middle class continues to rise, Wall Street Journal columnist Jeff Yang's project to teach his sons about guns and much more.

President Obama will announce a new plan to curb gun violence, spearheaded by VP Joe Biden. Plus, a new book details how companies use 'The Fine Print' to raise prices, Patt Morrison talks about the large number of key positions in LA's March election, cocktail mavens Alie & Georgia jon the show to spice up our holiday cocktails this season, plus much more.

A wall street firm pulls out stake in Bushmaster gun maker after Sandy Hook shooting, plus we'll see whether Craig Whitney thinks the shooting will result in gun control policy change. Then, Librarian Mara Alpert offers her favorite children's book of 2012, Russian Parliament may ban adoptions from the U.S., and much more.

Today we examine the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting from multiple angles: The gun control question, school security, gun permitting and more. Plus, we meet a Syrian rapper who infuses revolutionary messages into his music, and much more.

A new report shows that fiscal cliff or not, California faces more budget problems. Plus, CA schools are using controversial bonds to finance new buildings, L.A. County pushes for a tax to help pay for storm drain cleanup. BREAKING NEWS: A tragic school shooting in Connecticut has left 27 dead. We interrupted our regular program for national news on this story.